1. Field
Aspects of embodiments of the present invention relate to a thin film deposition apparatus, and a method of forming a thin film using the thin film deposition apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices, display devices, etc., have a plurality of thin films, and some of these thin films are formed with specific patterns. Deposition using a mask is a widely used method of forming a thin film having these specific patterns. To form a thin film having such specific patterns using deposition with a mask, a tight interval and alignment between the mask and a substrate should be precisely controlled. For this precise control, a mask, or a mask stage for mounting the mask thereon, or any other significant component of the deposition process, may be made as flat (e.g., level or correctly positioned) as possible before the deposition process.
However, although the mask stage or the like may be made flat before performing the deposition process, the flatness of the mask stage or the like may vary over process time. For example, the mask stage or the like may become tilted or misshaped from use or due to variations in temperature, vacuum, or the like in a deposition chamber.
Thus, the flatness, tilting, etc., of the mask stage or the like varies over time. Accordingly, whether or not the mask stage or the like is abnormal (e.g., not flat) may not be known until after failure of the corresponding formed thin film pattern has been confirmed. At this point, the vacuum of the chamber is removed, the mask stage, mask, etc., are unloaded from the chamber, and whether or not the mask stage, mask, etc., are abnormal is confirmed. This complicated process may reduce the efficiency of the thin film deposition process.
In addition, in the alignment between the substrate and the mask, position information regarding the substrate and the mask may be obtained by using camera parts, such as a gap sensor and a camera, whose positions may function as zero points for alignment of the substrate, the mask, and the like. However, the gap sensor and the camera may vary from their otherwise fixed positions due to factors such as external impact, variation in vacuum degree, etc. Thus, when the positions of the gap sensor and the camera functioning as zero points for alignment of the substrate, the mask, and the like are changed, it may be difficult to obtain precise alignment information regarding the substrate, the mask, and the like. Accordingly, the reliability of the thin film deposition process may be reduced.